Trinamul Congress senior leader and minister Shashi Panja addressing the Media, said, “Our national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and our MPs are there in Jalpaiguri to meet the victims of the cyclone. Despite Abhishek’s meeting with the Governor and our MPs going to meet the Election Commission in Delhi, it failed to permit the state government to make houses for the affected people.”

She further said that chief minister Mamata Banerjee has also stated in her meeting today that EC allowed the Assam government to give grants for the Bihu festival but did not permit the Bengal government despite a humanitarian crisis. Whereas, a new train was introduced from Balurghat today that BJP leader Jagannath Chatterjee is saying even while the MCC is in place.

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The minister said that Mamata Banerjee has announced on Friday that Rs 20,000 has already been given and another Rs 40,000 will be given to the victims of the cyclone as first installment and another Rs 60,000 will be given later. “Abhishek Banerjee out of concern for these people is meeting the affected 1,600 families in Maynaguri. The delegation will also tell the people how our leaders were harassed by the Delhi police when they went there to speak for the people who lost everything in the cyclone,” added Mrs Panja.

“We have seen that if anyone praises the state, the BJP leaders cannot take that happily. We all knew that the person who was arrested in the Bangalore Café blast had links with the BJP. NIA has specifically said that the West Bengal Police arrested two alleged culprits from Kanthi within two hours of getting the information.”

NIA in their statement praised the West Bengal Police for their good work and swift action but the BJP is so jealous of this that they are bringing in several theories and trying to belittle the praise. Why were the culprits nabbed from Kanthi? Just to divert the fact that which family is there in Kanthi and what is the connection between the terrorists and Kanthi, BJP leaders are saying certain things,” said Mrs Panja.

I must tell you that we are very concerned about the 1,600 families affected by the storm, whom we want to help at once but we are not being permitted. We are not asking for money from anyone and we will make their homes as there might be rain anytime.